WASHINGTON — Some people like to extend the New Year’s Eve craziness into New Year’s Day, and that explains a southern Maryland tradition: The annual North Beach听Polar Bear Plunge into the Chesapeake Bay.
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Hundreds came out for this year’s event and spectators lined up along the boardwalk to watch.
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The water temperature was just above freezing — 33 degrees — for the 1 p.m. plunge.
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“It was cold, and fun,” said 12-year-old Alex after he emerged from his very first plunge.
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Vicki Turner, another newbie, took the plunge while wearing a “Happy New Year” tiara.
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“This is my first year doing it. It was on my bucket list to do, and I’ve put it off every year, and this year I just did it.”
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She says getting out of the water is harder than getting in.
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“It wasn’t that bad until your feet got cold. Once your feet got cold, it was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to turn around now because I can’t get back to shore.'”
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William Bronson says the plunge is a time to start fresh and forget the past.
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“Believe me, you go in the water, you won’t remember anything from last year.”
